Algeria chief of staff warns army may tackle political crisis

Algeria’s army should take responsibility for finding a quick solution to its political crisis, the chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaed Salah said on Monday. The statement is seen as the most overt signal of potential military intervention since mass demonstrations erupted three weeks ago, Reuters said. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika bowed to demonstrators last week by announcing that he had reversed a decision to stand for another term, but stopped short of stepping down and postponed elections. So far, the powerful army has remained in the barracks during demonstrations, with the security forces mainly monitoring mostly peaceful demonstrations in Algiers and other cities.